


For Fate So Guides My Feet

by Lumeleo



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Gay Bashing, Getting Together, M/M, Permanent Injury, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:26:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22113313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeleo/pseuds/Lumeleo
Summary: Whether it's fate or mere coincidence that guides Sanada's steps, he's grateful that he comes upon the aftermath of Atobe being attacked. Sure, the sight of it will haunt him for a long while, but at least Atobe is alive. Alive, though not unharmed.Neither Sanada nor his friends will let such a thing go unpunished.
Relationships: Atobe Keigo/Sanada Genichirou
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	For Fate So Guides My Feet

Sanada did not truly believe in fate, or destiny, or really anything besides hard work. However, if there was any such thing, he owed plenty of thanks to whatever force guided his steps that day.

He’d been running further than usual, to begin with, going off his ordinary route. He didn’t exactly have a plan in mind, wasn’t sure where he was headed, but that didn’t matter. His feet carried him forward, up to a small park, and this was where he decided to stop for a drink. Gulping down his water, he was about to continue when his ears caught a strange sound. Something that sounded like an animal in pain.

Snapping his bottle closed again, Sanada walked in the direction of the sound. He could hear it more clearly now, and that was definitely an animal in distress. A dog to be precise, he realized, walking faster. Why would a dog be whining alone in a park?

He’d braced himself for something unpleasant when he rounded a large bush, yet for a moment he thought perhaps things weren’t so bad. There was a dog, yes, whining pitifully as it nosed at something in the bushes, but it didn’t look hurt. His relief was short-lived, though, as he stepped closer and realized just what was holding the pup’s interest.

There was a hand sticking out of the bushes.

The dog seemed to finally realize his approach, turning towards him with the most pitiful little growl he’d perhaps ever heard. Not that it seemed like a threat, really, as the dog came barely up to his knee, a ball of fur and not much else. Still, Sanada was careful not to startle it, crouching down.

“Hey there. I’m not a bad man.” Sanada did his best not to look intimidating. It might have been easier if he’d had any idea what dogs considered intimidating. “I want to help.” Perhaps the dog understood him, or perhaps it was just too worried to keep up the threats. Either way, it rushed over to him, turning in a circle with hasty little steps, yipping for his attention. Taking this as permission, Sanada moved closer, dreading what he might find.

Whoever had tried to hide the person had not put much effort into it, simply pulling a few branches over them. Still, off the path as it was, it had been hidden enough that Sanada wouldn’t have noticed anything if the sounds of the dog hadn’t drawn him closer. Pushing aside the branches, now, he froze.

“Atobe?”

There was no response, his rival lying unconscious on the ground. Atobe was clearly badly hurt, bloody and bruised, and one of his legs was bent at a terrifying angle. Sanada wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to get any closer, but to his deep relief he found a weak pulse. It wasn’t exactly reassuring, sure, but at least it was there.

Sanada drew out his cell phone, simultaneously trying to remember what he knew of first aid. He’d never had to deal with someone being unconscious on his own, even when Seiichi had collapsed there had been other people around. Right now, though, there was nobody else, just Sanada and Atobe’s battered body and a desperate little dog.

He did not know if it had been fate or gods or something similar that had guided him here and now, but he found himself quietly murmuring desperate prayers as he dialed the emergency number.

*

“Genichirou?”

Sanada gave a non-committal grunt in answer, not sure he could find words even if he tried. He’d never been too good with words, and right now he was burned out in that regard. The police had obviously had plenty of questions for him, though thankfully his grandfather had been called along as soon as they realized who he was. With his grandfather’s support he’d managed to work through a somewhat coherent recounting of his story, even though he’d been thinking about nothing but Atobe the whole times. By the time his grandfather took him and Atobe’s dog home, he felt emotionally drained.

“I’d ask if you’re all right, but that’s probably pointless.” He knew his mother was fretting even without turning to look. "Ah. There’s a visitor for you?”

“A visitor?” That was… strange. He couldn’t think of anyone who might want to visit him that his mother would talk about in such a way, certainly not at this time of the evening.

“Right. He said his name was Atobe-san?” She must have seen the way Sanada immediately sat up in surprise. “I take it you’ll want to speak with him?”

“Please.” He glanced down at the dog in his lap. The poor thing had finally fallen asleep, no doubt as exhausted as Sanada himself felt. Perhaps at least the dog would have some comfort.

His mother didn’t reply, but he heard her steps retreating back into the hallway. A moment later they returned, followed by another, unfamiliar set. Sanada finally turned to look at the doorway. Curling up on a couch like a sulking child would probably not make a particularly good impression.

His first thought as the man entered the living room was just how much Atobe clearly took after his father. Their faces were the exact same, though obviously Atobe-san had more marks of age and his hair and eyes were darker than his son’s. The way he carried himself was exactly the same, though, proud and confident, though his eyes held a slightly haunted look. Sanada supposed he couldn’t blame him.

“Atobe-san.” Sanada tried to stand in greeting, but was interrupted by the dog in his lap stirring awake, then immediately running over to the visitor. Sniffing around his feet for a while, the pup then tried to jump up his legs, whining in obvious distress.

“Ah, I see you have been looking after Beat. Just another thing I owe you for, it seems.” Atobe-san crouched down, picking the dog up into his arms. He certainly didn’t look like the type to cuddle a pet, not with his obviously expensive suit and fine silk shirt, yet this seemed natural. “Do you mind if I sit?”

“Ah, please do.” Sanada swallowed, not sure if he actually wanted to ask the question burning on his tongue. “Um. Is Atobe-kun…”

“He will live.” Which was a relief and a terror at the same time. On one hand, it was obviously better than the alternative, but on the other hand, it wasn’t exactly reassuring that this was the only piece of good news Atobe-san could offer. “Thanks to you, as it happens. The doctors told me he might have been lost if he had been found just a bit later.”

Sanada ducked his head, clenching his hands to keep them from trembling. “…In that case, I’m even more thankful that I happened to head off from my usual route.”

“I think we all are.” Atobe-san sighed. “He’s in rather poor shape, but the doctors are doing everything they can. My wife is in the hospital at the moment, waiting for more news. However, we decided it would be only appropriate if one of us came to speak with you in the meantime.”

“I appreciate it. I have been… worried.” Terrified, was more like it. The image of his rival lying helpless on the ground was burned in his mind’s eye.

“I figured that might be the case. I’m just sorry I don’t have more news to share.” Atobe-san looked like he just thought of something. “If you would like, we can certainly arrange for you to visit him as soon as he’s awake. I’m sure Keigo would be delighted to thank you in person.”

“Ah. I would not want to intrude like that, certainly not so soon after what must have been a rather traumatic incident.” Sanada shook his head. “I would be thankful to hear about his recovery, however.”

“I will certainly keep you updated. But if that is how you feel, I will wait until Keigo himself wishes to invite you. Which, knowing my son, will be quite soon.” Atobe-san’s expression turned exasperated for just a moment. “He never was good about not pushing himself.”

“Hn. That is certainly true.” Sanada managed a faint smirk despite his worry and exhaustion. “He is perhaps the most stubborn person I know, and I know plenty of stubborn people. Ah. In a positive way, that is.”

“Don’t worry. I know exactly what you mean.” Atobe-san petted the dog in his lap almost absentmindedly. “Of course, the main reason I came here was to talk about your reward.”

“That will not be necessary.” His response was perhaps a bit too fast and curt, but he did want to make it clear. “I only happened to be in the right place at the right time, and did what anyone would have done in that situation. Knowing that I could help him is more than enough reward.”

“For you, perhaps it was just that simple. However, from our perspective, you are the reason our only son is still alive.” The haunted look was still in Atobe-san’s eyes, though he was hiding it very well. Just another similarity to his son, then. Atobe was very good at hiding his emotions when he wished to.

“Either way, I cannot accept a reward for doing the literal least I could.” Sanada paused. “Atobe is a good rival. I would even hope to call him a friend some day. Trust me, the fact that he is going to live is more than enough.”

“Well, the offer will remain open. It does not have to be monetary. Whatever opportunities you might be looking for in life, I’m sure I could give a helping hand.”

“While I appreciate the gesture, I like to think I will be able to earn my own opportunities. However, I promise to contact you if I ever change my mind.” He doubted that would ever happen, but it seemed like a polite compromise.

“I suppose I will have to take that for now.” Atobe-san gave him a weary smile. “Now, if you will excuse me, I do think I should get back to my wife’s side. Could I bother you for your phone number? It would make it much more convenient to inform you as soon as we know more.”

After Atobe-san had left, Sanada felt somewhat surreal. He might have thought he imagined it all in his exhaustion, except the dog was gone and his mother asked him about the visit. He hadn’t had much of an answer, except that Atobe was alive. His mother gave a wordless sound, then pulled him into a hug. She hadn’t hugged him like this in years, not since he had started to feel embarrassed at such things, yet this time he appreciated it. He needed something to ground him, and his mother’s touch was good for that.

He broke down in tears mere moments later, but she kept holding on.

*

In all honesty, Sanada wouldn’t have blamed Atobe-san at all for forgetting entirely about him.

He spent the day after the incident trying to calm down, taking a very rare sick day from school. His parents agreed with this, so his distress must have been quiet obvious. He’d barely slept the night before, too haunted by the possibilities of what might have happened if he hadn’t found Atobe in time. He now took the time to meditate and work through his sword exercises, knowing he would not be able to entirely shake the fears and slight nausea still lingering but wanting to at least get them under control. He wasn’t very successful, but he had to try at least.

His friends were obviously worried from the moment he informed them he wouldn’t be coming to school. He dodged their questions, promising to explain everything later. He figured there was no keeping this under the wraps forever, but he could at least not start spreading the rumors until the word got out from another direction. It was a balancing act between not wanting to say too much and not wanting to lie to his friends, but luckily he had understanding friends. Neither Renji nor Seiichi was going to push him too much if he made it clear he could no t speak yet, and they would keep the others off his back.

He would definitely pay for his silence now by being expected to go through every detail later, but that would be later. Right now, he got the silence he wanted and needed.

There were no news all day, but he didn’t think much about it. Atobe-san clearly had much more important things to consider right now. As such, he was rather surprised when his phone rang in the evening with an unfamiliar number.

“Sanada-kun.” Atobe-san sounded even more tired than the day before. “I believe I promised to update you on things.”

“Hn. You really should not concern yourself with that.” Sanada paused, considering his words. “Ah. Not because I do not care, it’s just — you should focus on your son right now.”

“I assure you, that is exactly what I am doing. Though I do appreciate your concern,” Atobe-san replied. “The fact is, I believe Keigo would like to speak with you directly. Would it be possible for you to visit tomorrow?”

“Of course.” It was going to be Saturday, and he shouldn’t have any club responsibilities, but even if that had been the case he would have simply called it off. This was more important. “Is he — is he going to be fine?”

“As I said, I think he would prefer to speak with you himself.” That… didn’t sound good. Clearly there were some bad news. “So, would it be all right for me to send a driver to pick you up tomorrow? Say, around noon?”

After wrapping up the call, Sanada spent a long time staring at the wall. Something was up, and while he had more or less expected that after the horrific sight, it was still hard to face the fact.

He did get some more sleep the following night, but that was more due to his exhaustion than any figment of actual rest.

The following day he was ready well before noon, dressed up nice and neat and armed with a bouquet of flowers his mother had assured him would be perfectly suitable for a hospital visit. He still felt rather uncomfortable, half tempted to call the whole thing off after all when a car pulled up to the gate of his family home. As expected of the Atobe family, the car was obviously expensive, with a driver stepping out to open the door for him. Well, that didn’t make him feel any less self-conscious, though it did at least mean he didn’t need to speak just yet.

As they arrived at the hospital he was greeted by a man he didn’t recognize. The old man looked like a foreigner, but as he bowed in greeting he spoke in fluent Japanese. “Sanada-kun? I was asked to bring you to Keigo-sama’s room.” Straightening himself, the man gave his flowers an approving glance. “Ah, I see you have brought flowers. Keigo-sama will no doubt be pleased.”

There were immediately a dozen questions Sanada wanted to ask, but he held himself back. Instead he followed the man down the hallways of the hospital, trying to focus on anything but his worries and how uncomfortable he felt. Unfortunately, those were the only two things in his mind right now. He wasn’t exactly surprised to see they were clearly headed to a private room, the corridors quiet and almost entirely empty. The man came to a halt in front of a door, giving it a sharp knock. After a muffled response from within, he opened the door and stepped aside.

Sanada steeled himself and stepped in, not sure what he should expect. The room was spacious and well-furnished despite only having the one bed, which was only to be expected. Atobe-san was there, along with a woman Sanada assumed was Atobe’s mother. However, Sanada only gave them a cursory glance before his focus settled entirely on Atobe. His rival looked awful, covered in bandages and one leg in a hefty cast, an arm in a sling for good measure. A part of Sanada wanted to turn and flee rather than face this as reality, but it was too late. Even if his arrival hadn’t been announced, Atobe’s mother perked up, now.

“Ah, Keigo! Your friend has arrived.” She stood up from the chair she had been seated in, rushing over to touch Sanada’s arm. “Oh, I can’t possibly describe how grateful we are to you! Really, we owe you everything.” There was an accent to her voice, her blue eyes startlingly familiar as she gazed into his eyes. Oh, yes, definitely Atobe’s mother.

“I already told Atobe-san, you do not owe me anything for simply doing the right thing.” Sanada swallowed, trying to squash his awkwardness. “Ah. I don’t want to be a bother, but —”

“Oh, the flowers! Of course, do forgive me.” She took the flowers from him with almost startling care for her otherwise frantic demeanor. “Michael? Could you please find a vase for these? Oh, Keigo, Sanada-kun brought you some wonderful flowers. Why, I believe they are the exact blue of your tennis uniform!”

That seemed… strange. Surely Atobe would have seen them himself? He was clearly awake, his head turned towards them. Well, perhaps rambling on about small things was her way of keeping her nerves in check. Sanada certainly couldn’t fault her for needing to calm down somehow, considering how troubled he himself was. Either way, she was clearly busying herself with the flowers now, so Sanada turned to the others. “Atobe-san.” With a brief nod, he focused on his rival. “Atobe. You are alive.”

He immediately regretted his clumsy words, but Atobe chuckled. His voice was hoarse, but even so, there was a familiar tone to the sound. That was something of a relief to hear, even with everything else being so terrible. “Thanks to you, or so I hear.”

“Hn.” Sanada managed a small shrug, his cheeks heating up in some embarrassment. “Your dog, actually. I doubt I would have come across you if I hadn’t heard him whining.”

“You’re the one who called for help, though. So, thank you.” Atobe’s smirk took on a hint of sadness, and he turned his head to the side. “I would offer to repay you with a match, but I’m afraid that is not going to happen, now or ever.”

“Because of your leg?” That seemed the most logical conclusion. “Or… is there something else?” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know, but at the same time he absolutely needed to.

“You could say that.” This time the chuckle was entirely devoid of humor. “Broken bones, even internal injuries, that I could deal with. But the fact is…” Atobe paused, and Sanada almost told him to stop. However, he figured that wouldn’t affect anything anyway. Atobe knew what he did and didn’t want to say. “I lost my sight.”

Sanada almost expected to be told this was some sick joke. However, the closest thing he got to a denial was Atobe-san’s concerned frown. “Now, Keigo. We don’t know that yet. There are plenty of avenues we can pursue once you are feeling better.”

“And if none of that helps?” Atobe shook his head. “I’m certainly willing to try anything that might help, but until and unless something does work, there is no point in living in denial.”

“How?” Sanada barely managed to choke out the word. “That’s… how?”

“Brain damage. My eyes are more or less fine, but the signals aren’t getting received. I suppose I’m lucky my intellect doesn’t seem to have been affected, though it’s difficult to tell with all the drugs.”

“God.” Sanada clenched his fists, wishing for something to punch. “…I’m sorry.” That wasn’t enough, that wasn’t nearly enough, but he had to say something at least.

“I’d rather be blind than dead, so. It could be worse.” Even so, Sanada could tell Atobe’s smirk was forced. Not that it was any surprise.

“Hn.” Sanada paused. There was another thing that had nagged him ever since the actual incident. “Atobe… what exactly happened?”

“I don’t suppose you would believe I simply tripped on my run.” Sanada didn’t even bother to answer. “No, didn’t think so.” Atobe sighed, leaning back on his half-raised bed. “I was walking my dog, and trying out a new area since Beat likes to find new scents. Unfortunately, I apparently chose the wrong neighborhood, considering I was… attacked.”

“Attacked?” Right. Definitely needed someone to punch. “Who? Why?”

“I don’t know who, I didn’t recognize any of them. Three young men, about our age. As for why…” Atobe’s expression soured. “Judging by their comments, they thought they were teaching me a lesson about why I should be heterosexual.”

“Really?” Not that he doubted there were people who would do such a heinous thing, but it did bring up another question. “But… how would they know?” Sure, Atobe’s orientation wasn’t exactly a secret in tennis circles; he’d been flamboyant enough in middle school, and by the time they entered high school he’d made something of a habit of flirting with rival players. However, he was hardly obvious about being gay to complete stranger, certainly not in the clothes he’d gone running in.

“I said I didn’t recognize them. That doesn’t mean they didn’t recognize me.” Atobe paused, and his father reached for his hand as though to offer support. “Sanada… they were wearing Rikkai uniforms.”

Sanada cursed under his breath. He didn’t ask if Atobe was sure, he knew better than to doubt either Atobe’s honesty or his intelligence. “…Not our players, I hope.”

“Oh, no. I would recognize any of your regulars, at least.” Atobe shook his head. “However, unless there is another school in the area with an identical uniform, they were definitely from Rikkai.”

“I see.” Sanada nodded slowly. “I will see if I hear anything. Between all the regulars, we tend to have the school rumor mill more or less covered, and people who do such things will likely want to boast.”

“This is part of why we would appreciate it if you could not spread the word about the details of his injuries. Having the rumors circulating will make it more difficult to identify those with first-hand knowledge.” Atobe-san’s voice was quiet, but laced with an undercurrent of steel. Sanada got the feeling he wouldn’t rest until justice was served.

“Of course. I wasn’t going to speak of it anyway without your permission.” Sanada paused. “I’m assuming it’s fine to mention that you were injured.”

“Oh, certainly. There’s no keeping the whole thing under the wraps, but I’d rather not have people know the details just yet.” Atobe ducked his head. “Though I suppose it’s fine to let your players know I’m out at least for the current season.”

“Right.” Sanada swallowed. From what Atobe had said, it might not just be one season. “Ah. I don’t suppose you could describe your attackers? Only if you don’t mind.”

“No, it’s — it’s fine.” Atobe flashed a self-deprecating smile. “Better get the word out while I still remember it more or less clearly. After all, I can’t exactly count on being able to pick anyone out of a line-up.”

Somehow, Sanada managed to hold himself together for the rest of his visit, and even during the car drive back home. Once he got back, though, he tugged off his tie, already digging out his phone. He should update his friends, especially Renji. If anyone could track down some leads, it was their data player.

As long as he had something to focus on, he could hopefully keep fighting down his nausea.

*

For once, all the regulars had arrived for morning practice well before the scheduled time, and on a Monday morning no less. Sanada would have been impressed if he hadn’t been so well aware that this had nothing to do with tennis itself. Well, not directly, anyway.

“Genichirou.” Seiichi was giving him an unusually serious look. So were the rest of their players, of course, but somehow it seemed even more pressing coming from Seiichi. “I believe you have something to tell us?”

“Right.” Sanada sighed, letting his eyes slide from one curious face to the next. “Now. I already told you all that Atobe is out of commission for the rest of the season.”

“Yeah, though we’re still wondering how you’d know that before the gossip got around.” Marui popped a bubble of gum. “Something you’d like to tell us?”

“Yes, actually, but not the sort of thing you are insinuating.” Sanada frowned. “The reason I was the first one to know is that I’m the one who called ambulance after I found him beat up in a park.”

This clearly surprised everyone, aside from Renji and Seiichi, who had both heard the basics already. Jackal muttered a curse under his breath, while Kirihara’s eyes flew wide.

“Beat up? Why? He’s annoying, sure, but not even I would do that!”

“I wasn’t accusing you of anything, Akaya. However, that does bring me to my next point.” Sanada paused. “According to Atobe, the people who attacked him were wearing Rikkai uniforms. I have no reason to doubt his word, and I believe Renji has already narrowed down some of the most likely suspects based on the descriptions.”

Renji nodded, producing a set of paper slips. He passed out one for each regular. “These students match the descriptions and have the motivation. Please note that we do not know for sure that these people are responsible; that means no confronting them directly.” He gave a particularly sharp look at Akaya, Niou, and Yagyuu. They were the most likely troublemakers, after all. “However, if you hear any rumors, particularly anything regarding Atobe’s exact injuries, make sure to let Seiichi, Genichirou, or myself know as soon as possible. Not even Hyoutei regulars have been informed about the exact nature of his injuries, so anyone who claims to know about that is suspect.”

Niou narrowed his eyes, sharp as ever. “You said they have a motivation. What's that, exactly?”

“Judging by what they said to Atobe… they attacked him because he’s gay.” Sanada paused, looking at each of his players in turn. “I think we can all agree this is not something we will want to let slide.”

His players had looked grim before. Now, their expressions turned downright predatory. Oh, they were very much against such nonsense.

He wasn’t terribly surprised to get cornered by Seiichi and Renji as soon as the rest of the regulars had dispersed. “So.” Renji was the first one to speak up. “What is it you haven’t told us yet?” Of course they would have known he was holding something back.

Sanada glanced around to make sure they were indeed alone, then sighed. “Everything I’ve said so far is true.” He paused, trying to figure out how to put this into words. “The truth is, however… there’s a chance Atobe’s never returning to the courts.”

Seiichi gave a small nod, as though this were exactly what he had expected. “May we ask why?”

“I’m not comfortable with sharing the details just yet. However, some of his injuries might turn out to be permanent, and if that happens, he’s out of tennis for good.” That much, he supposed was fair to reveal.

“Right. Thank you for telling us.” Renji gave him an intense look. “And you? Are you all right?”

“What do you mean?” Sanada frowned.

“You are obviously quite shaken. Which isn’t a surprise, considering this is about Atobe.” Seiichi touched his arm. “If you need some time off from the club, we’d be happy to fill in.”

Sanada wanted to ask what Seiichi was talking about, wanted to say he didn’t need any such consideration. After all, he wasn’t the one who had been hurt. Instead, he found himself nodding, trying to find the words to respond. “I’ll… let you know if I need a break.” Or if he just wanted to visit Atobe. “For now, though, what I need the most is a distraction. That, and clues on who did this.”

His friends both nodded as though they had expected this exact answer. Perhaps they had; they did seem a bit strange about this whole thing with Atobe. Not that Sanada cared what they thought as long as they were going to help him find the culprits.

Whoever had hurt Atobe was going to pay.

*

Really, it wasn’t like Sanada had expected his players to actually keep their heads down and simply listen for rumors. He’d figured they would at least hold themselves back enough not to run around punching suspects, but probably ask too many questions or otherwise get involved. However, he really hadn’t even thought to expect the sheer creativity the rest of the team displayed in trying to coax the bigots out of hiding.

Jackal was the first one, though Sanada had no doubt Marui was in on the scheme from the beginning. He’d told the team the bad news on Monday, and then Tuesday started with Jackal arriving to school bearing an armful of various sweets, all of which he handed over to Marui in a very public fashion. Marui made no attempt to hide his delight, rewarding Jackal for his gifts with a hug and then a very loud and obvious kiss. For all that the two had never been too subtle about their flirting, this was definitely, undeniably something that happened between a couple. Given that the tennis regulars were very well-known even outside the club, there was no way the whole school wouldn’t know by lunchtime.

Niou and Yagyuu went for a rather less sweet yet just as public scene, breaking into an argument in the middle of the school corridor. Sanada had to give them some grudging respect for their acting skills; when he heard the sound of yelling and rushed closer, even he was convinced they were arguing for real. That didn’t happen often, but when it did, it always caused trouble for everyone around them. Best to interrupt before things got too serious.

By the time Sanada reached the circle of curious students gathered around the two, he realized there was something else going on. He knew these two by now, knew that particular gleam of Yagyuu’s glasses and the twitch of Niou’s lips. This was something entirely else, and by the time he realized what was going on he chose to simply stand back and watch the fireworks. Not that any attempt at interrupting them would have made much of a difference, he suspected. Their showmen had a play to get through, and they were enjoying themselves far too much to let the opportunity slip by.

By the time Niou clutched the front of Yagyuu’s shirt, pulling him closer with an angry growl, Sanada knew what was going to happen. It was like watching a tennis match between two people he knew perfectly well, where he knew exactly where each shot was going to land. The rest of the onlookers gasped in shock as the heated argument led to an equally heated kiss, the kind that left lips bruised and breathing heavy. Even for these two, it was rather showy.

The rest of them didn’t exactly stay out of the mess, either. Not when he heard Seiichi explaining to someone with a gentle smile that he had absolutely no intention of removing any of his regulars from the team over affections he had been aware of for a long time, or Renji citing lengthy passages of the school’s code of conduct to remind a flustered teacher that simple kisses were not against the rules as long as they did not happen during class. There was no mention of the gender of the students involved having any effect on whether a kiss could be considered indecent or not, Renji continued on, and in fact the school board had just approved the student council’s request to treat any such matters as equal to couples of opposite genders. The fact that Seiichi had been the one to put forward the idea in the first place did not escape anyone’s notice. Even Akaya got mixed in with it all, announcing to anyone and everyone who would listen that his senpai were all great and nice and he’d fight anyone who tried to say otherwise.

With all this, Sanada was rather surprised to find that he was the first one to face anything beyond rumors a few layers removed from the source. It wasn’t even by design, either his or someone else’s. He was simply standing out of the way at the schoolyard, trying to decide if he wanted to ask for news about Atobe or not, when a group of people walked past him.

“Hey, Sanada.” With a chill he realized the person who had spoken was on Renji’s list. As were his friends, if he wasn’t entirely mistaken. Luckily Sanada was very good at staying outwardly calm, even with his insides roiling with nausea and rage. He didn’t have any proof, he reminded himself. He didn’t know if they truly were guilty. Not yet.

“What?” He lifted his eyebrows, tapping at the screen a couple of times before lowering his phone. “If you want to complain about my players’ antics, don’t bother. Yukimura’s the one who makes the final decisions, and he seems awfully stubborn.” He didn’t really have to fake the hint of distaste in his voice. He just didn’t let on who exactly it was directed at.

He might have been mistaken, but he could have sworn he saw a hint of a smirk on the spokesperson’s face. No doubt they thought themselves in likeminded company. “What the hell’s gotten into them? It’s weird enough they’re acting like sickos, but you’d think what happened with Atobe would put an end to it.”

Sanada tried not to tense visibly. “What’s Atobe got to do with it?” He frowned. “Don’t think he’s been in touch with any of my regulars.”

“Well, you know.” Another one of the guys spoke up now. “Everyone knows how Atobe is. You’d think having him knocked down would show everyone not to act like a fag.”

“Hn.” Sanada held back his rage. That wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. “Atobe being Atobe, he’ll probably be back on the court soon enough. His big dramatic injury is probably a sprained wrist or something, and then he’ll go on to be a bad influence on anyone.” It pained him to say such things; for all their differences, he held no malice towards Atobe, and certainly didn’t enjoy playing along with these bastards.

“Yeah, don’t think that’ll happen too soon.” The guys nudged each other, taking on downright evil grins. “No amount of money will get him back in the game with his leg in two pieces.”

“Leg?” Sanada tried to keep his voice level, faintly curious rather than showing the rage and disgust he currently felt. “I thought it was his arm.”

“Nah, definitely leg.” The third one spoke now. “Trust me, you won’t have to deal with that fag any time soon. He won’t be walking any time soon, never mind playing tennis.”

“Well, that’s good to know.” He caught sight of the approaching Niou and Jackal in the distance, both of them rather easy to pick out even in a crowd. “Thanks.”

“For the info?” The first one was speaking again now, practically leering. “Or for making sure the fag won’t bother you or anyone else again?”

“Don’t get too cocky.” Sanada snorted. “I’ll soon wonder if there’s a way to get my own trouble children out of the way.”

“Oh, I’m sure it can be arranged.” A downright gleeful look, now.

“I’m sure.” With barely a glance down at his phone, he tapped the button to stop the recording, then saved it. “There’s a problem with that, though.” With a couple of more taps, he sent a copy off to Renji.

“Oh?” Definitely cocky, confident and proud of what they’d done. The bastards. “What problem?”

Sanada stepped past the three, not glancing at any of them. “You want to try clearing the tennis circuit of gay players, you should’ve started with me.”

Leg. They had mentioned Atobe’s leg, and repeated it when asked. Except Sanada hadn’t even told his teammates about that. The only ones who would have any way of knowing that were Atobe’s family, and Sanada himself, who had seen the clearly broken limb first hand. Just them, and the ones who had left him lying in the park in the first place.

It was a good thing Niou and Jackal had showed up, or he might have ended up breaking his own rule about no direct confrontations.

Though perhaps… just perhaps, he could maneuver this for some more evidence.

*

“One day,” Sanada’s grandfather announced, sitting down across from him, “you’re really going to be the death of me.”

Sanada shrugged, holding the bag of frozen peas to his eye. It wasn’t that bad, really, just a simple bruise, but his mother did like to fuss. It wasn’t the only injury he had, though definitely the most obvious. All in all, though, he had gotten off easily. “I didn’t start anything.”

“You’d better not have.” His grandfather shook his head. “I know you want to help your friend, but picking fights with who you think might be responsible isn’t the way to do it.”

“I wasn’t picking fights. I only spoke to them when they started a conversation, then left the situation when I got too angry.” As his friends could confirm. “It’s not my fault they were waiting for me when I left school.”

“Right. And it’s entirely a coincidence that you left alone, even though you usually walk most of the way with your teammates.” His grandfather lifted his eyebrows. “And also a coincidence that those teammates would have been following you just far enough to step in when you did get attacked.”

“If you’re suggesting I was aware they might attack me as well, then yes, that’s true.” He wasn’t going to lie to his grandfather, certainly not about something so serious. “However, I still hold that I didn’t start a fight, I didn’t threaten them, I didn’t even mention that I was in any way involved in the incident.”

“How would you know you’d get targeted as well, then?” Ah, yes. Ever so perceptive, his grandfather.

“Because I told them I’m gay.” He met his grandfather’s eyes steadily, held his gaze. He had no shame about this, for all that he had never discussed it with his family, not in as many words. “Considering that’s the reason they targeted Atobe, it was logical to think they would come after me, yet I don’t think a reasonable person would see it as a provocation.”

His grandfather was quiet for a while, watching him. Then, he folded his arms, leaning back in his chair. “Tezuka owes me a dinner, I see.”

Sanada blinked. That was… not the reaction he had expected. “What?”

“We had a bet on which one of our grandsons would come clean first. It’s not like either of you was going to bring home a girlfriend in the foreseeable future, anyway.” His grandfather shook his head. “You’re right, though. Mentioning that doesn’t justify their attack, and shouldn’t be seen as provocation. Moreover, it’ll go a great way in linking them to the earlier incident, along with everything else.”

“…Right.” He still wasn’t sure how to react to his grandfather’s apparent indifference to what he had thought might be a major revelation.

“Even so, the way you went about it was stupid, and I’m sure your father will let you know that as well.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” That, at least, he was going to cling to. “And besides, Renji called the police at the first sign of trouble. It’s not like we just took the opportunity to beat those bastards in revenge.” Which wasn’t to say they hadn’t put up a fight, they’d just backed off as soon as the police showed up to clear the situation.

“No, and you’re damn lucky you didn’t, or you’d be in much deeper trouble.” His grandfather snorted. “I hope you realize your parents will want to know about this, too. They won’t be upset, but they deserve to know.”

“About my orientation?” At his grandfather’s nod, Sanada groaned. “Oh, god no. I can already see them starting to drop hints about this coworker who has a really lovely young nephew.”

“You could fix that easily enough. They wouldn’t be so worried about you if you actually had someone to show off.”

“I am not having this conversation with you.” Not now, not ever, and certainly not if there was any chance of it getting relayed to Tezuka’s grandfather in turn.

Not when all that rose to his mind at the idea of finding a boyfriend was a faint hint of nausea and the memory of Atobe’s blue eyes staring unfocused at nothing.

*

Somehow, it didn’t surprise Sanada that the first time Atobe appeared again in public was at a tennis tournament.

His players had fought even harder than usual in his absence, a fact Sanada could only approve of. Hyoutei had never been an easy opponent, but they were particularly fierce this year, making up for their captain’s absence in much the same way Rikkai had back in middle school. As such, Sanada was not at all surprised when Hyoutei made it to the Nationals. He was even less so when they arrived at the tournament area and everyone was talking about Atobe.

Well, it did help that he had been speaking with Atobe about it just a few days ago. That didn’t change the fact that this was exactly what he would expect from Atobe.

Seiichi didn’t say much as Sanada left the group, merely smiled and nodded. The rest of the team were exchanging knowing gazes, but that was fine. He was used to that by now.

Finding Hyoutei was never difficult. Even with the tournament being outside Tokyo, they still had a larger group than most schools, though not nearly as many as when they could just easily bring along their entire massive club. This was now added to by gawkers from various other teams lingering about, no doubt trying to get a glimpse of Atobe.

Good thing Sanada didn’t need to worry about such things. As soon as he approached, the crowd of Hyoutei players parted, leaving him with a clear path to where Atobe was seated.

“Hey, Atobe.” Oshitari touched Atobe’s arm. “Sanada’s here. To your left.”

“Ahn?” Atobe tilted his head in Sanada’s direction, though he was not looking at him. Wasn’t looking at anyone in particular, Sanada suspected, though with the sunglasses he was wearing it was hard to tell. “Come to spy on us, have you?”

“Like we need that to beat your team.” Perhaps it was harsh of him to be so direct, but it seemed to please Atobe, who chuckled in response.

“I would protest, but I haven’t seen much improvement from them lately.” Atobe tilted his head, smirking. “Then, I haven’t seen much of anything lately, so that might factor into it.”

So that was how they were playing it. Fine. Sanada had gotten used to Atobe’s somewhat irreverent attitude to his injury over their private interactions, but he hadn’t been certain whether that would be appropriate in public. “Does that mean you won’t see us coming to beat you, either?”

“Sure, though that’s because it won’t be happening.” Atobe heaved a sigh. “It’s too bad I won’t be able to defeat you personally.”

“Saves you the humiliation of losing, I would say.” Sanada paused for a moment, not sure he wanted to go this far, but. If Atobe was brave enough to be here, leading his team even though everyone could see his vulnerability, he could be brave enough for a simple question. “I’d like to suggest a bet, though.”

“A bet, ahn? I’m intrigued.” Atobe smirked. “I’m assuming the subject is which of our teams places higher, but what is it you want to bet on?”

“Simple.” There were far too many people paying attention to them, but he’d never been one to back away mid-battle. “When Rikkai obviously wins, you’ll go out on a date with me.”

“Oh, I have a better suggestion.” Atobe ignored the sounds of surprise from the various people around them. “We’ll go out regardless, and the one who wins gets to decide where we go.”

“Deal.” Sanada allowed himself a smile, folding his arms. “I’ll have to think of somewhere terribly common and cheap to take you. Broaden your horizons a little, as it is.”

"I suggest burgers,” Mukahi piped up. “Whenever we drag him to a fast food place, he makes hilarious faces at having such messy food.”

“Suggestion noted.” Sanada tipped his cap. “Now, I should get back to my team. Try not to get kicked out before you face us.”

“In your dreams.” Atobe snorted. “Just because I can’t see doesn’t mean I can’t show you how superior Hyoutei is.”

Honestly. Why had he ever doubted whether Atobe could move past this?

*

_The crowd gathered for the Wimbledon finals yesterday got to see more than they bargained for when Genichirou Sanada (Japan) took victory from his old rival Ryoma Echizen (USA) (6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6). Upon the announcement of his victory, the usually reserved Sanada turned towards the stands and fell to one knee to propose to his long-term partner, Keigo Atobe. Atobe, who is British on his mother’s side, accepted the proposal, and the two are rumored to be planning a wedding on the grounds of Atobe’s family castle in Southern England._

_“Tennis is what first brought us together,” the unusually emotional Sanada told the press after the match. “It seemed appropriate. Taking gold on Keigo’s home grounds, from the man who caused his worst defeat… I felt it was appropriate to do it here.”_

_The two do have a long history, first meeting as rival players during middle school. Atobe had to retire from the sport a few years later due to visual impairment, and has since become a two-time paralympic equestrian for UK. He is also the CEO of Atobe Sports, a daughter company of the Atobe Conglomerate and Sanada’s main sponsor since the beginning of his professional career._

_We congratulate the happy couple, and wish them a bright future together._


End file.
